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Letters to the Editor

Last week, the paper reported on a Hudson man accused of possessing hardcore preteen pornography. His name is John Nerbonne. You can follow his case on CCAP at https://wcca.wicourts.gov. You can also follow the case of a man named Joseph Brabeck.

In the case of Brabeck, you will find a man charged with very serious sex crimes against children. You will find that he has been out of custody since the start of the case as the presiding judge lowered his bond to allow for his release. You will find that the St. Croix County District Attorney's Office has let this case be continued for over two years, denying justice and peace of mind to the community.

In the case of Nerbonne, he too is out of custody despite facing enough prison time to effectively be a life sentence. Keep an eye on this one. Look to see if the DA's put this case off indefinitely as well.

I was sitting in court one morning. A member of the support staff joked with the assistant district attorney. She laughed as she asked whether the case coming up was going to be swept under the rug just like all his other ones. She joked about how she could write a book for these guys, that they should wait to strangle their girlfriends until after they get their lawyer to make their cases go away.

So, while we're locking up 18-year-old kids for marijuana possession, take a look at who we're not locking up. Start asking yourself why. Start putting the political pieces together. Start following the money. Justice is justice. It should be blind and not a function of whether you're rich. I challenge the community to pay attention, hold elected officials accountable and demand better.

Sarah Yacoub

Hudson

Don't touch my healthcare

TO THE EDITOR

As a chronically ill person with multiple pre-existing conditions, the healthcare debate is not just philosophical for me. It's a matter of life or death. Since losing my job in January 2014 (due to failing health), ACA has not only saved my life, but it has kept my husband and me from losing our home and having to declare bankruptcy.

I know that my story is not the exception; it's the rule. Listen, I know that ACA has problems that need to be fixed, and I realize it's not affordable for everyone, in its current state, but TrumpCare will kick 22 million people off of insurance, gut the Medicaid programs that some of our poorest working families depend on, and for what? To give an approximately $7 million per year tax break to the top richest 1 percent of our country.

Do 22 million of us really have to die, just so the richest citizens in our country can get richer? How much money do they need?

My Senator, Ron Johnson (R-WI) has given interviews in which he states that his constituents want him to repeal and replace Obamacare, and that's what he plans to do, but I challenge him to hold even one single Town Hall meeting and find out if this is indeed true. I believe he and his fellow Republicans have been saying "repeal and replace" for so long that they don't know how to say anything else. If Ron Johnson and his fellow Republicans would talk to us, they would find out they're out of date with their information, out of step with their constituents, and very soon (if they don't start listening) will be out of office.

Josephine Frame

Roberts

Elite are exempt

TO THE EDITOR

Wisconsin's gem, the wild and scenic St. Croix River, is under attack by Sen. Sheila Harsdorf and Rep. Adam Jarchow. They have introduced legislation that erodes river protections that have stood us in good stead for 50 years. Why? Apparently, they believe that rich people should be exempt from rules.

New owners of the Lodge on St. Croix property in Somerset flaunted all zoning rules that govern this national scenic riverway when they built a patio and deck. In 2015, the county sued them and won. This ruling was upheld in court with Judge Scott Needham stating, "(the) defendants were well aware of the requirements of the zoning code but chose to disregard them."

At this point, the average person would be slapped with hefty fines and required to bring the building to code. Not so, if you are among the elite constituents; you just have Jarchow and Harsdorf rewrite the law for you!

When I called Jarchow's office to express my outrage his staffer said, "Jarchow just wants to give control to the local level."; What a hypocrite.

This is the same Jarchow who took control of area lakes away from counties and local lake associations and gave it to the state. Why? Follow the money.

So, the next time you hear Jarchow or Harsdorf saying they are doing something to promote local control or to benefit the average person, don't buy it. Jarchow and Harsdorf have demonstrated that they only care about elite constituents who don't want to follow the rules like everyone else.